In the member survey conducted this past Spring, members identified "gun violence safety" as the most important advocacy issue that they wanted the Chapter to address.  The Chapter leadership then formed a Firearms Injury/Death Prevention Ad Hoc Committee to begin this work. We held our first webinar for members in October 2023, focused on how to advocate on this issue (see link to the recording in the resources below). It also became clear that advocacy starts in the pediatric office. We are now working at two levels: supporting pediatricians in talking to parents and families about the importance of safe storage, and educating legislators on feasible solutions. The resources below are what we have collected for you thus far. We will update this page as we refine the best tools for you to use. I’m here to help you navigate these resources. Please reach out to me through the Chapter office.
—-Jennifer McCain, MD, FAAP, Alabama Chapter-AAP Firearm Injury/Death Prevention Champion

Resources & links for reaching parents in your office

• Be Smart Handouts
  Download Be SMART handouts about secure storage practices and types of secure storage. All handouts are designed to be printed on 8.5 x 11-inch paper.

• Healthy Children.org - Guns in the Home: How to Keep Kids Safe

• A Parent's Guide to Home Firearm Safety - Developed by the University of Michigan Institute for Firearm Injury Prevention

• AAP Firearm-Related Injuries & Deaths in Children & Youth (Technical Report)

• AAP Firearm-Related Injuries & Deaths in Children & Youth: Injury Prevention & Harm Reduction (Policy Statement)

• Clinical Tools for Preventing Firearm Injury –  The Bullet Points Project

  • 3As-brief-portrait.pdf (bulletpointsproject.org)

• AAP Gun Violence Prevention

• AAP Gun Safety Campaign Toolkit

• AAP Gun Violence Prevention Advocacy Toolkit

• AAP Tips on Talking to Children after a Disaster

• Talking with Children about Tragedies and Other News Events – HealthyChildren.org

• Where We Stand: Gun Safety – HealthyChildren.org

Alabama Chapter-AAP Webinars

• October 18, 2023 Webinar Recording - Firearms Injury & Death Prevention Advocacy

  • PowerPoint Presentation

• February 29, 2024 Webinar Recording - How Pediatricians Can Begin the Conversation about Firearm Safety

Advocacy

• 2024 AL-AAP Legislative Leave-Behind

• Gun Violence in Alabama - Fact Sheet from Everytown

• Lending Your Voice to Ending Gun Violence – A Letter from the AAP President

• We Can End Gun Violence – Wear Orange

Suicide Prevention links

• AAP Blueprint for Youth Suicide Prevention

• Preventing Youth Suicide: Strategies for Clinical Settings

• Screening Pathway

• NIMH ASQ Toolkit

• Columbia Protocol

• PHQ-9 ASQ

• ASQ Next Steps

• Sample Safety Plan

• Teens and Suicide: What Parents Should KnowApp for phone or tablet: Be Safe, Guidelines for using the Be Safe App

Questions?

Contact Linda Lee, APR, 334-954-2543, or Jennifer McCain, MD, FAAP, 205-515-7899